


Recharging at Hotel Asgard

by MLLudwa



Category: Captain Marvel (2019), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Brunnhilde | Valkyrie (Marvel), BAMF Carol Danvers, Carol Danvers Needs a Hug, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Injury Recovery, New Asgard, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Reluctant Friendship to Lovers, brunnhilde & thor friendship, carol danvers & thor friendship, please don't read this without watching endgame first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2020-02-26 12:53:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18717484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MLLudwa/pseuds/MLLudwa
Summary: Everyone is trying to make do and move on with their lives in a post-Thanos universe. But when a cosmic accident leaves Carol Danvers powerless and vulnerable to Kree assassins, old friends step up to protect her in the last place anyone will look- New Asgard.





	Recharging at Hotel Asgard

Carol Danvers tapped a fingernail against the dull plastic of her red solo cup. Her gaze remained fixed skywards at the countless stars scattered across the atmosphere’s darkened canvas. The cool evening breeze brought with it the scent of burning firewood, and distant echoes of laughter broke through the otherwise quiet night. A hint of a grin curled at the corner of her mouth as she brought the cup to her lips.

“Already itching to get back out there?”

Carol swallowed her jack and cherry coke with an indifferent shrug. “Can you blame me?”

Fury stepped beside her, crossed his arms, and turned his good eye up towards the stars. “With a view like that, who could blame you?” He let out an amused chuckle. “Damn. Sure is a view to make you feel small, though, ain’t it?”

“If you wanna feel small, try navigating around a cosmic hypergiant.”

“You’re assuming I even know what the hell a cosmic hypergiant is,” Fury said through a widening smile. “But I guess I’ll take your word on it.”

“You gotta get out more, Fury. Go see the universe a bit. You know, now that you’re not a pile of ash anymore.” Carol brought the cup to her lips to sip her drink again, her upward gaze unwavering.

His smile gradually waned as silence settled between them. “So. What’ll you do now?”

 “You mean now that we’ve finally killed Thanos, wiped out his army of psychopathic killing machines, and saved the entire universe from complete annihilation?” Carol asked through a casual deadpan. Fury didn’t respond. The grin across her lips faltered. “Thanos wasn’t the only asshole out there. Just because he’s gone doesn’t mean that the universe is safe.”

Fury nodded. “You aint wrong.” He glanced over to her. “Like the Kree?”

Carol’s jaw tautened. “Still out there.” She turned to Fury with a mischievous smile. “So don’t worry about what I’m going to do next. I’m a busy woman.”  

“A busy woman you may be, but you should at least take the night to relax a bit. We all sure as hell earned it.”

Carol shot him a look. “I _am_ relaxing.” She gestured with her cup and shrugged. “Look, I’m holding an adult beverage and everything.”

Fury chuckled and nodded towards the crowded cabin far behind them. “Well then, let’s at least get you a refill on that adult beverage of yours.”

The two started back towards the cabin. Carol tucked her free hand into her brown leather jacket pocket and smirked at Fury.

“Nice eye-patch, by the way. You look like a cyber-punk pirate.”

“Yeah, well, nice haircut, Bieber.”

“I have no idea who Bieber is but I’m going to assume she’s got great hair.”

Fury laughed. “It’s good havin’ you around again, Danvers.”

Carol nudged Fury’s shoulder with her own as they continued towards the cabin. “Likewise.”

***

“I wanna make a toast!” Peter Parker slurred as he raised his plastic cup into the air. He stammered towards the roaring bonfire but was snatched back by a drunk Happy before he could tumble in.

“I swear to god, kid, lookin’ out for you is gonna give me a heart attack,” Happy slapped Peter’s back after redirecting him away from the fire.

Peter braced himself against a metal fold-out chair and raised his cup again. “I wanna mm-make a toast to… to Mr. ss-Stark. And… and for everyone else who didn’t make it...”

Carol and Fury stepped into the warmth and light of the bonfire just as the rest of the party lifted their drinks into the air. A heavy silence fell over the otherwise lively gathering. She surveyed the crowd of people now facing Peter with their full attention, some drunker than others, until her eyes met briefly with the dark-haired woman standing beside the tall, green Steve Bannon. Carol blinked away and raised her own cup in solidarity.

Peter rubbed the back of his hand against his watering eyes, his lip quivered. “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them. And I just…” His voice broke as Aunt May hurried to his side. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug. He buried his face into her shoulder.

“Let’s get you some water, okay?” She released him from the embrace and gently guided him back towards the cabin.

“Poor kid,” Carol said as lowered her cup without taking a drink. She watched them disappear inside the home and turned her attention back to the party-goers. “I can’t imagine he’s in the right mood to be celebrating anything. He looked like he was going to break this morning at the funeral.”

“I think Stark would be offended if we _didn’t_ throw a party after his funeral. Think about it- all of us crying over him, talking about how amazing he is, nothing but compliments upon compliments-“Fury let out a chuckle. “God, he’s eating this shit up wherever he is now. Besides,” he slapped her shoulder with a smile. “This isn’t just for him. We’re celebrating simply being alive after all this insanity. I think that’s worth getting a little drunk over.”

Carol smiled and tipped her cup to him. “I won’t argue with that logic.” She took a swig of her drink and nodded towards the cabin. “You want anything?”

Fury offered an indifferent wave “I’m alright. Go and have some well-deserved fun.” Fury’s smile faltered a bit. “Just outta curiosity, when’re you plannin’ on blastin’ outta here?”

“Tomorrow, most likely. I’m not very good at staying put in one place for too long.”

“Make sure you swing by and see me before you go off to save the day, alright?” He turned towards the bonfire and tucked his hands into his deep jacket pockets. “And don’t do anything stupid until then.”

Carol grinned and started towards the cabin. “Can’t make any promises on that last part.”

She passed Nebula along the way, who was methodically instructing Stark’s daughter how to flick paper footballs across the table. The young girl successfully directed a paper football across the picnic table between two cans of soda and turned to high-five the tall robotic woman beside her; Nebula hesitated, eyeing the tiny, awaiting hand, and gently tapped the palm of her hand against it.

Steve Rogers and Bucky were seated beside each other at another picnic table, hunched over their drinks and looking over the bonfire and still lake. Steve turned his attention to Carol as she passed and offered her a polite nod.

“Captain,” he said with a smile.

“Captain,” she returned with a nod of her own.

She didn’t recognize everyone who was in attendance, but they all still shared the same bittersweet look in their eyes as they chatted and drank together. That night was meant to be a celebration of their victory over Thanos’ army, and to celebrate the lives of those lost to secure that victory. Laughter broke through the evening air between lively stories of mishaps during missions, of awkward exchanges and humorous moments that they didn’t know would stay with them for as long as it had.

“- I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on Nat’s face when she accidentally broke my nose on that Toronto mission,” Eric laughed and wiped a tear from his face. “I should’ve known better than to try sneaking up on her. But god, the look on her face was priceless.”

Wanda Maximoff slung her arm across his slumped shoulders. “You want _priceless_? Let me tell you about the time Vision walked through the bathroom wall not knowing I was already in there.”

Carol glanced across the yard at the massive green gentleman meticulously arranging items on a fold-out table. Thor was on the opposite end of the table, arms crossed and scratching his beard inquisitively. Her eyes met briefly again with the smirking dark-haired Valkyrie standing with them.

“I do not understand this game,” Thor said, still scratching at his beard and eyeing the table, as Carol approached them. “The only objective is to get that tiny ball in the cup?”

Bruce Banner gestured at the neatly arranged cups on either end of the table. “Thor, it’s beer pong, not rocket science. Don’t over-think it.”

“I guess it isn’t a real party until there’s beer pong,” Carol said. She stood beside Thor, tipped back the rest of her beverage, and tossed the empty cup into a nearby trash bin. “Got room for one more?”

“I’m not sure- you any good?” Valkyrie asked.

Carol cocked an eyebrow. “Drinking games are a weekend hobby in the military- of course, I’m good.”

“She’s on my team!” Thor wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her into his side, and pointed aggressively at Bruce and Valkyrie. “We shall defeat you in beer bong.”

“Beer pong.” Banner corrected.

“You’re just bitter because I chose to be on Bruce’s team rather than yours,” Valkyrie said, deadpan.

“I will admit that from one Asgardian to another, it is a bitter betrayal. But-!” Thor smiled and slapped Carol’s back hard enough to make her eyes flare in a slight grimace. “- we will destroy you in this match.”

“Sure thing, _your majesty_ ,” Valkyrie grinned and snatched up the ping-pong ball from the table.

Bruce let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s all in good fun, right guys? No need to take it too seriously.”

“Oh shut up, Bruce. That’s what losers say,” Valkyrie said with a smirk. She shot Carol a wink and eyed up her first toss.

Carol couldn’t help the smile that grew across her lips. “Are you talking from experience, or…?”

Valkyrie tossed the ping-pong ball and it plunked directly inside the cup in the center of the formation. She rested her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “I’ll let you be the judge of that.”

“Oh, no doubt I will be,” Carol said as she removed the cup and fished the ball from the bottom. She turned to Thor, cleared her throat, and dropped her voice a bit. “So, what exactly are we drinking when we lose?”

Thor stepped over to a nearby table and patted his palm against the lid of a beer keg that, until that moment, Carol had failed to notice. “I believe this should suffice.”

“That’s… for the whole night, right?”

“Don’t be silly,” Thor let out a laugh and reached down to pour her a cup. He returned to her side and handed it over with a twinkle in his eye. “It’s one per game.”

Carol stood motionless for a moment, eyeing the full keg, and turned back towards the table. She gestured with her drink at Banner, “This better work proportionally, my man, because I’ll be damned if I see you drinking the same as any of us.”

“Is the great Carol Danvers getting cold feet?” Valkyrie asked through a mischievous grin.

Carol’s reluctance dropped, and she brought the cup to her lips to down the entire beverage in one go. She wiped the side of her mouth with her knuckle, snatched up the ping-pong ball, and squinted to aim her first shot.

“I’m just getting’ started.”

***

“Dude, get it!” Carol yelled.

Thor dunked his finger into the cup as the ping-pong ball swirled around the top. He hooked the ball and flipped it out from the cup before it dropped entirely inside. Carol whooped and clapped Thor triumphantly on the shoulder.

“Yes!” Thor raised both of his meaty fists into the air. “That is how it is done!”

Valkyrie gestured at the single cup across the table. “That’s such bullshit, I had that!”

“Hey, you think we can remove that flick-the-ball-out rule?” Banner asked, turning a disappointed gaze down at his thick hands. “It’s a bit, uh, disadvantageous.”

“Just aim better and you wouldn’t need the rule,” Carol said with a sympathetic shrug.

“If the ball is inside the cup, that should count.”

“It doesn’t count until…” Carol tossed the ping-pong ball across the table, where it dunked directly into the middle of their three remaining cups. “…the ball is in the _bottom_ of the cup.”

“But that’s stupid!”

Carol raised her hands in feigned defensiveness. “Hey, I didn’t make the rules. I just abide by them.”

“Brunnhilde just hates losing,” Thor said as he handed the angry Asgardian a fresh cup of beer to chug.

“ _Brunnhilde_?” Carol asked, crossing her arms and cocking an eyebrow.

Brunnhilde finished her drink, crushed the cup in her hands, and tossed it aside. “What, you didn’t think my _actual_ name was Valkyrie, did you?”

Carol shrugged. “I stopped thinking anything was weird after I met the shit-talking murder raccoon.”

“… fair point.”

“She hates it, though,” Thor whispered as he leaned closer. Carol snorted as she tried to subdue her laughter.

Brunnhilde fished the ball from the cup as Banner arranged the remaining two on their side of the table.

“That’s a lot of giggling I hear coming from people who’re about to lose,” Brunnhilde said as she lined up her shot.

“Not at all, this is serious giggling,” Carol stated, deadpan. She crouched down and rested her chin on top of the table behind the last empty cup. “This is a serious game for serious competitors, Brunnhilde. You need to concentrate.”

Brunnhilde strained to suppress the smile. “Oh, I need to concentrate, do I?”

“I’m sorry, am I distracting you?” Carol asked as she moved her face closer to the cup.

“If stupidity is distracting, then yes, absolutely.”

“Ah, good. So it’s working,” Carol said with a wink.

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment before Brunnhilde squinted, aimed, and tossed the ball across the table. Carol didn’t move away as the ball plunked inside the cup, tipped it over, and splashed water across her face. Thor let out a thunderous, howling laughter as Banner clapped his gigantic palms together. Carol peeked one damp eye open to see Brunnhilde standing triumphantly with one hand on her hip. She offered a cheeky grin before blowing Carol a kiss.

***

She could hear the birds singing through the pattering of raindrops. Stirring awake, she felt a cool breeze against her bare shoulders and neck, sending a shiver down her spine. Carol peeled open a single eye and grimaced against a ray of light breaking through the roof. She inhaled deeply and caught the scent of wet earth and hay. She laid there for a few moments absorbing her surroundings, waiting for her sleepy haze to lift.

There was movement beside her, and the blanket draped over Carol’s chest pulled away. She sat up on her elbows and glanced over at Brunnhilde sleeping soundly beside her, wrapped up snug in their shared blanket. Their bed was little more than a thin mat, a few pillows, and those blankets on the top loft on the cabin’s nearby barn. Carol closed her eyes and relived the previous night after hours of banter and drinking games. She’d said goodnight to Brunnhilde at around 3am, but had found Brunnhilde’s hand holding her own, tugging her away from the warmth of the bonfire. Carol’s cheeks flushed hot when she recalled scooping Brunnhilde into her arms and flying them up into the loft, both too impatient to even use the ladder. Their feet had barely touched the ground when Brunnhilde pulled her close, pressed her lips against hers, and ran her fingers through her hair.

Carol took a steadying breath, pushed the thought aside, and quietly stood from the floor. She padded barefoot around the loft, snagging articles of discarded clothing and slipped them on as quietly as she could manage. She glanced over her shoulder every few moments to check that Brunnhilde was still sleeping soundly.

She fastened her belt, fixed her wild blonde hair, and took one final look at Brunnhilde laying wrapped up in a tangle of blankets. Brunnhilde’s chest rose and fell with each steady breath, and her hair was in tangles around her neck and shoulders. Carol stood there for a moment watching her and felt the slightest tinge of a smile curl at the corners of her lips. She blinked and brought herself back into the present, her smile faltered.

The next moment she was already on the ground of the barn, walking towards the entrance where a tall, white Pegasus was eyeing her with curiosity. Carol passed the animal, patted its neck, and took a single step outside of the barn before kicking off the ground to disappear into the storm clouds above. Inside the barn, Brunnhilde opened her eyes, peered up at the ceiling, and sighed.


End file.
